Why Jeff Bezos Ex MacKenzie Scott’s Multi-Million-Dollar HBCU Donations Couldn’t Come at a Better Time

Just in time for Christmas, Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, has broken a record for the largest single-year donations to historically Black universities and colleges. The long-time philanthropist is no stranger to opening her massive wallet to support Black institutions, which historically go underfunded by the federal government. And given President Donald Trump’s push to redirect funding from diverse institutions, Scott’s generous donations seem like the gift that just keeps on giving!

We previously reported that Scott pledged to donate half of her billion-dollar fortune during her lifetime. To many folks’ surprise, a lot of this money has landed safely in the hands of our HBCUs since her divorce from Amazon CEO Bezos in 2019. And this year, Scott took her donations to a new level.

“MacKenzie Scott’s donations could fundamentally change the landscape of opportunity for HBCUs and the students who attend them,” Rutgers University said of Scott’s donations. 

The billionaire reportedly donated over $750 million to HBCUs in 2025, setting a record for the largest donations to many of these Black schools, according to reports. On the flip side, HBCUs are still underfunded, and under the Trump administration, Black schools are on very thin ice.

We also told you all about Trump’s mission to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the federal level. This means closing civil rights offices across government agencies, trying to erase Black historical figures on government websites and even targeting diverse institutions and pulling their funding.

Shockingly, however, the president has doubled down on his support for HBCUs, even shifting money meant for Hispanic institutions to Black colleges, as we previously told you.

“Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States,” Department of Education Secretary Lisa McMahon wrote in a statement. “To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.” 

Still, just because places like Hampton University and Spelman College haven’t made it on Trump’s hit list yet doesn’t mean these schools aren’t preparing for the other shoe to drop. That’s why sizable donations like Scott’s couldn’t come at a better time!

She has donated more than $1 billion to more than 16 Black colleges over the past few years, as previously reported. Traditionally, this type of philanthropy comes with strings attached – e.g., funding requirements, department specifications or even the renaming of a school building – but not Scott’s. In fact, the majority of her donations have been completely unrestricted, allowing HBCUs to decide exactly how best to use the money for their students.

Scott previously said, “There’s no question in my mind that anyone’s personal wealth is the product of a collective effort, and of social structures which present opportunities to some people, and obstacles to countless others.”